Selected and bred for his ability to accomplish a definite purpose, the Elkhound achieved his distinctive type by natural methods. No form was imposed upon him, he was not squeezed into a preconceived standard, his structure and rare beauty, like those of the thoroughbred horse, were evolved from the tests of performance. Every physical characteristic is the expression of a need. His compactness, his muscled robustness, his squareness, his width and depth are true expressions of nature's requirements for a dog that would hunt day after day and all day long in rugged country, where stamina rather than extreme speed is called for and he is, without doubt, the peerless hunter of big game.

The Elkhound's highly developed senses amount almost to intuition, and it is common to read of, or, if one is fortunate, experience, such incidents as seeing a seasoned dog take body scent at from two to three miles or to hear his indicating to his master by a slight whimpering that the elk has become alarmed and has begun to run, at a time when no human senses can apprehend any sign by which the hound ascertains this fact. The Elkhound is well adapted to the hunting of any other four footed game and soon becomes expert on lynx, mountain lion, and raccoon.

The Elkhound, then, is an exceedingly versatile dog developed through constant contact with man in pursuit of game. It was not until 1877 that he began to be considered from an exhibition point of view. In that year the Norwegian Hunters' Association held its first show and shortly thereafter pedigrees, which had been handed down, were checked and traced as far back as feasible. A stud book (Norsk Hundestambok) was published, and a standard drawn up.